Nicole Gross-Camp, PhD student - Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (CTEC) - Antioch University New England Nicole Gross-Camp, MS

Nicole Gross-Camp, M.S.

PhD student
Email Nicole

Personal Statement

My graduate research involves an examination of primate seed dispersal in an afromontane forest and the implications for forest regeneration processes. I hope my work contributes to the conservation of the Nyungwe National Park in which I am based and am committed to working closely with Rwandan nationals to secure the capacity of African conservationists in this regard.

Although my work is grounded in ecology, I embrace the interdisciplinary nature of conservation and have chosen a program that will enable me to deepen my understanding of pertinent disciplines including economic and political, advocacy, and social theory.

I received my MS from the Antioch University New England in December 2003 under the guidance of Dr. Beth Kaplin. My doctoral research is an extension of the work initiated in my master’s.

Research Experience

Doctoral Research
April 2006—2007, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda.
On the ground: the ecological role of semi-terrestrial primate seed dispersal in an afromontane forest

Research Assistant
Wildlife Conservation Society and Antioch University New England
February 2003. I assisted in the design and implementation of a forest-wide chimpanzee census in the 970 km2 Nyungwe National Park. This work was supported by a grant from the USFWS Great Ape Fund.

Master’s Research
August 2002—February 2003, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda.
The seed dispersal behavior of the chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, in an afromontane forest.

Tibetan Buddhism & Jainism Research
December 1996—April 1997. Accompanying a Watson Fellow, I studied the concept of ahimsa, non-violence, in Tibetan Buddhism and Jainism. Due to the mores surrounding male-female interaction, I would assist the Fellow during interviews of female nuns and other female personnel.

Botanical Research Assistant
August—November 1996, Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo. I assisted Dr. Sylvia Torti in her research on the causes and consequences for the monodominance of the tree species, Gilbertiodendron deweverii. I also conducted a separate research project testing the hypothesis that escape from herbivory and pathogen damage provides dominant species with a competitive edge over species that do not attain dominance by comparing herbivory rates on emerging leaflets in two forest types (Biotropica, Gross et al. 2000).

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Biology in Tanzania
Fall 1995. Participant on the School for International Training’s semester abroad including an independent study on the wildlife utilization of the invasive tree species, Senna spectabilis, in the Mahale Mountains National Park.

Publications

Gross-Camp, N., N. Barakabuye, F. Bizimungu, M. Masozera, and B.A. Kaplin. 2007. Linking research with education outreach programs to improve conservation efforts in protected areas. The Informal Learning Review 85: 11-13.

Gross-Camp, N.G. and BA Kaplin. 2005. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) seed dispersal in an afromontane forest: An examination of microhabitat influences on the post-dispersal fate of large seeds. Biotropica 37(4): 641-649. Read this article

Gross, N.D., Torti, S.D., Feener, D.H. & P.D. Coley. 2000. Monodominance in an African rain forest: Is reduced herbivory important? Biotropica 32(3): 430-439.

Santiago, M.L., Bibollet-Ruche, F., Gross-Camp, N., Majewski, A.C., Masozera, M., Munanura, I., Kaplin, BA, Sharp, P.M., Shaw, G.M., and BA Hahn. 2003. Noninvasive detection of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a wild-living l’hoest’s monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti). Aids Research and Human Retroviruses 19(12): 1163-1166.

Professional Experience

Teaching Assistant, Conservation Biology
Fall 2007. I was responsible for organizing and running several quantitative labs on various conservation biology concepts including population viability analysis, maximum sustainable yield, and protected area design. This was a graduate level course.

Seed Dispersal Workshop
5 & 6 December 2006. I organized and co-led a 1 ½ day workshop on the ecological role of vertebrate seed dispersers on forest processes for primary and secondary school educators from communities surrounding the Nyungwe National Park (NNP). Results from the workshop were presented at the Society for Conservation Biology Meeting in July 2007 and published in the Informal Learning Review v.85 (2007).

Curriculum development, Conservation Biology, National University of Rwanda
Summer 2006. I developed a series of courses for a new bachelor's and master's level programs in Conservation Biology at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) including: Introduction to Conservation Biology, Professional Seminar, Applied Ecology, Biotechnology & Conservation, Birds of the Albertine Rift, Conservation Policy & Law, Primate Ecology, and Principles of Conservation Biology. The NUR is the largest institution of higher education in Rwanda.

Logistical Support, National University of Rwanda
July 2006. I assisted in the implementation of a one week workshop for conservation and natural resource management professionals hosted by NUR and the Network of Conservation Practitioners (NCEP) of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation in the American Museum of Natural History. Funds to support this work were received from the MacArthur Foundation.

Reviewer, Biotropica
2006 & 2007. A peer-review scientific journal published through the Association for Tropical Biology & Conservation.

Session Moderator
The CTEC 2004 Symposium. ”Conservation without Borders: the impact of conservation on human communities,“ October 9, 2004. Session title, ”New Voices from the Field.“

Reviewer, Conservation Biology Teaching Modules
Spring 2004 and Fall 2004. I served as a reviewer of Conservation Biology teaching modules developed by staff of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History and faculty from several other institutions. This project is funded by NSF, the Network for Educators and Practioners (NCEP), and coordinated by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.

Managing Director, Center for Tropical Ecology & Conservation
May 2003—May 2004. The CTEC supports and promotes education and research in tropical biology, conservation and the sustainable use of tropical ecosystems. My responsibilities included supervision of the Information and Education Coordinators’ activities, creation of a biannual newsletter, maintenance of promotional materials and CTEC web site, assist in the 2003 "The role of tropical ecology and conservation in the New England classroom" and 2004 "Conservation without Borders: the impact of conservation on human communities" symposiums.

Domestic Scholar and Intern, Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS)
June—July 2002. As a domestic scholar I was awarded a travel stipend and conference fee waivers to participate in both the SCGIS and ESRI Annual GIS Conferences in exchange for assistance with the International Scholars Program.

Assistant Director, Center for Tropical Ecology & Conservation
January 2001—2002. See above decsription "Managing Director." My responsibilities included development of field study courses, coordination of a promotional pamphlet and web page, and organization of the Center’s Fall 2001 Conference on Tropical Ecology at Antioch University New England.

Teaching assistant, Geographic Information Systems Course
Fall 2001 and 2003. I assisted students in weekly labs to learn ArcView 3.2 software. This is a graduate level, introductory course with an emphasis on using GIS as a conservation tool. Students are encouraged to work with an organization on their final projects to provide useful maps and/ or data analysis.

Practicum, Wildlife Conservation Society
Spring and Summer 2000. Data analysis including the use of GIS of mammal and human disturbance data collected from a census conducted in 1999 in the Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda.

Supervisor of Drill Rehabilitation & Breeding Center (DRBC)
September 1998—1999. Cross River State, Nigeria. I worked as a volunteer supervisor for the non-profit organization DRBC, which is dedicated to the conservation of the highly endangered drill monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus. I was responsible for day-to-day management including management of local staff, veterinary care, accounting, and enclosure maintenance. In addition to these responsibilities, I was able to conduct needed research in the area of general drill behavior.

Posters, Oral Presentations and Invited Presentations

2007 - Oral presentation: Frugivore visitation and seed handling quality of five, large-seeded tree species. Ecological Society of America Meeting, San Jose, California.
2007 - Poster: Seeing the forest and the trees: Linking research with education programs to improve conservation efforts in protected areas. Society for Conservation Biology Meeting, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
2006 - Invited Speaker: Chimpanzee seed dispersal ecology: past, present and future research directions, Scientific Research in the Protected Areas of Rwanda, Rwandan Office of Tourism & National Parks, Kigali, Rwanda.
2006 - Invited Speaker: The Nyungwe Primate Ecology Project, Research in the Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, Rwandan Office of Tourism & National Parks, Gikongoro, Rwanda.
2005 - Invited Speaker: Monitoring chimpanzee populations: design, justification, and lessons learned, Linking Protected Areas with Landscape Management in Central African, University of Gottingen, Germany.
2005 - Invited Speaker: Community and Ecosystem Ecology. Antioch New England Graduate School Conservation Biology, graduate level.
2005 - Oral presentation: Monitoring chimpanzee seed dispersal: temporal aspects of seed persistence and germination, Frugivory & Seed Dispersal Conference, Australia.
2005 - Invited Speaker: What's in a wadge? Implications of chimpanzee dispersal method on seed persistence and germination, Association for Tropical Biology & Conservation Annual Meeting, Uberlandia, Brazil.
2004 - Invited Poster: Understanding chimpanzee seed dispersal: do microhabitat influences and post-dispersal seed fate matter? EPA STAR Conference, Washington, D.C.

Honors & Grants

Switzer Environmental Fellow 2007
EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship 2003—2006
Crowder-Messersmith Conservation Fund 2005
Primate Conservation, Inc. 2005
Margo Marsh Biodiversity Fund 2005
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 2005
Idea Wild 2005
Primate Conservation, Inc. 2005 & 2006
Antioch New England Scholarship 2002
Lincoln Park Zoo Conservation Fund 2002
The Explorer’s Club Exploration Fund 2002
American Society of Primatology 2002
Primate Conservation, Inc. 2002 —2003
Honorable Mention Recipient, National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship 2001—2002 and 1999—2000 Competitions